Christmas at Little Creek
by Criminal Minds Mom
Summary: Dave invites Hotch and Jack to spend Christmas with him at Little Creek.  Will the two friends still be friends on December 25th, or will they be more...  This fic was written for HansonFanGermany as part of the Christmas fic exchange.
1. Chapter 1

This story was written for HansonFanGermany as part of the Christmas gift exchange. My pairing is Hotch/Rossi. The First Noel; ice skating, Christmas Cookies, Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" are my prompts.

Chapter 1

December 23rd

"Daddy, I'm so excited to get to Uncle Dave's small creek. Are you sure Santa will be able to find me there" Jack Hotchner said bursting with all the energy a 6 year old.

"Jack, I promise you Santa will find you. And I think you mean Little Creek" Hotch responded chucking. Hotch thought about how much Jack loved his Uncle Dave. He had really supported him after his divorce. Then he help hold them both up after Hailey's murder. But it wasn't until he started co-coaching Jack's soccer games, that he became Uncle Dave. Often after a game he would go out for a burger and fries with Hotch and Jack. Hotch had always considered Dave a good friend, but in the past two years, their friendship deepened. They were so close that Dave invited Hotch and Jack to spend Christmas with him, at his Little Creek cabin. Hotch wanted to jump at the invitation, but his feelings towards Dave had gotten complicated lately. He didn't quite understand the nature of these feelings, as he never had them, at least not towards a man before. In the end, he decided to accept Dave's invitation. His family was traveling this Christmas. If it wasn't for Dave, it would be a quiet Christmas at home for him and Jack. Besides, whatever his feeling, he knew they were not shared.

"Too bad Uncle Dave called to say the pond wasn't frozen yet" Jack said, snapping his dad from his thoughts. "I brought my skates anyway, just in case. We are going to be there for four days. It may freeze."

Hotch laughed inwardly. "Maybe Jack, but don't get your hopes up too much, it takes a while for a pond to freeze."

"I know daddy, but even if it doesn't, Uncle Dave and us will have lots of fun."

"Absolutely!"

When they arrived at Little Creek, Dave came out front to greet them. "Uncle Dave! We're here!" Jack yelled out as he ran into Dave's arms.

"I can see that buddy" Dave responded lifting Jack into his arms. "Hey, Aaron glad you guys made it okay. The weather forecast shows the snow coming in this afternoon is going to be heavier than previously forecasted."

"Good things we got an early jump then."

"Come on in guys" Dave said as he took Jack's duffle bag. "I show you to your rooms."

After they got unpacked, they met Dave back in the kitchen. "It's snowing!" Jack exclaimed looking out the window.

"Yes it is. Jack, there is something we need to do kind of soon, before the snow piles up too much. Did you bring your skates?"

Jacks eyes grew wide. Without answering, he ran to grab them from his bag.

"Dave, the pond couldn't be frozen yet?" Aaron asked.

"No, but grab your coats. I have a surprise" Dave said as he grabbed his and headed towards the back door. Jack and his father followed him to the back yard, where they were stunned to see an inflatable skating pond set up.

"Dad, look it's a skating pond. Uncle Dave built us a skating pond" Jack screamed as he jumped up and down.

"Jack, why don't you put on your skates and we'll give it a spin" Dave said. He loved seeing Jack so happy. He considered Jack a bonus in his friendship with Hotch.

"Dave, when did you do this?" Hotch asked referring to the skating pond.

"I ordered it from Amazon, when I found out that you two would be spending Christmas with me. I knew how much Jack was dying to try ice skating."

"Thank you. I think you made Jack's Christmas."

"Just call me Santa Clause. Speaking of which, where are you hiding the Santa gifts?"

"There in the truck of the car, under a blanket."

"Why don't I start teaching Jack to skate, while you hide the gifts in the house? You can stash them in my bedroom closet."

"Okay, I just be a few minutes."

Hotch hid his son's presents and quickly return to the skating pond in time to see Dave Rossi fall on his ass. The three guys spent much of the afternoon skating. Jack's enthusiasm was infectious. When the daylight started to fade and the snow began falling quickly, they adjourned to the house for hot chocolate and dinner.

"Uncle Dave, you're a great cook" Jack commented as he feasted on his spaghetti and meatballs.

"Thanks Jack. It's the Italian in me. Plus, Mama Rossi's pasta sauce recipe" he said taking a sip of his wine.

"Daddy, you should get Uncle's recipe. This is so much better than the jar sauce you use."

"Gee thanks Jack. Maybe I'll have to enroll in the Dave Rossi cooking school" Hotch said laughing.

"Anytime Aaron, any time" Dave said looking up from his wine glass, giving Aaron a wink.

After the two men cleaned up, they entered the living room to find Jack watching "A Christmas Carol", not the original version, but the Disney version.

"Hey Jack, you watching a Christmas Carol. Good choice buddy" his father commented.

"I don't remember this version" Dave said, sitting down besides Jack.

"It's the Disney one that came out a few years ago. It's realistic animation, which I think is kind of creepy looking." The guys sat and watched the movie with Jack. By the end, Jack was fast asleep.

Hotch carried his son to bed, while Dave started a fire in the fireplace.

"Did you get him down okay?" Dave asked when Hotch returned.

"Out like a light. I think all that skating did him in. He had a great time today…we had a great time today."

"Jack's a wonderful little boy. I enjoy watching you two together, makes me wonder what kind of father I would have been…"

"If you had kids? I bet you would have made a great father, Dave"

"Aaron, I was a father. Caroline and I had a son, we named James David. He was born on April 26, 1979, he died that same day" Dave said in a quiet voice. Dave went on to explain to Aaron what happened to his infant son. Aaron sat in disbelief as he listened to his best friend pour his heart out. "I've thought about James many times over the years, but Caroline's death, well it brought it all back."

Aaron reached out and placed his hand over Dave's; "I'm sorry. Why didn't you ever tell anyone about your son" Aaron asked.

"I don't know. At first it was too painful, then it just became a private kind of thing, you're the only person I felt close enough to tell" he said glancing at Aaron's hand covering his own. "I need some more wine, you?" Dave asked.

"Yeah, more wine would be good" Aaron replied.

As he walked towards his kitchen he couldn't shake the feeling of Hotch's hand on his. He had always liked Hotch as a friend. Hell, he was his best friend, but lately he found his feelings shifting. His new found feelings exciting, but they also scared the hell out of him. Never once, in all his 56 years, had he ever entertained any romantic feelings towards men. It really didn't matter, he thought, Hotch was 100% straight. He had recently began training with that lady, Beth. That friendship would most likey develop into a relationship. He met Beth once, and she was definitely infatuated with Hotch.

When Dave came back with the wine, Hotch was looking out the window. "Wow Dave, it's really coming down out there. There is at least 8inches."

"There will be even more by morning, the storm is supposed to go on until early morning. Tomorrow, maybe we can take Jack sledding" Dave suggested. "There is a hill just beyond the garden." The two men sat on the couch talking and drinking wine for a long time.

"Hotch, what's happening with you and Beth? Have you become more than just training partners yet?" Dave asked.

"No, we're just training partners. We just didn't click; I wasn't attracted to her in a romantic sort of way. You were right though, it is time I move on with my life, just not with Beth."

They stayed up into the night discussing Jack, the BAU, families and everything else under the sun.

"Oh man, is it really midnight" Hotch said when he heard Dave's clock chime. "We should call it a night. Jack will be up early tomorrow."

"I know. He is so excited about it being Christmas Eve and Santa finally coming tomorrow night."

They tidied up and headed upstairs to their rooms. "Goodnight Dave" Hotch said when he reached his door. "Goodnight Aaron"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

December 24th

The next morning Dave woke up to the sound of voices cooking in his kitchen. He pulled on his robe and went out to find Hotch and Jack making pancakes.

"Good morning Uncle Dave!" Jack said leaping out from behind the counter. "I was going to wake you up and tell you that Santa is finally coming, but daddy said to let you sleep."

Dave hugged the boy and looked up at Hotch, "thank you, Aaron."

After they ate breakfast, they showered, grabbed their sleds, and headed out to the hill Dave was talking about. They spent the better part of the morning sledding.

"Hey Jack" his father called. "It's getting cold. This is going to be the last run. Who do you want to go down with?"

"I want to do this one by myself. You and Uncle Dave go together this time" Jack called.

Hotch looked at Dave and looked at the sled. "Think we'll fit?" he asked.

"Sure. Hop on" Dave said climbing on the back of the sled. Hotch climbed in front and down they went. They picked up speed on the way down and their sled flipped over, throwing Dave on top of Hotch. They landed with their faces just inches from one another. Despite the cold, both men started to overheat at the intimate contact.

When Dave looked in Hotch's eyes, it hit him. Hotch was experiencing the same feelings as he was. Oh boy this was getting complicated. The awkwardness if the moment was broken by Jack, who came flying down the hill landing next to them. "Dad, uncle Dave get up! I'm cold now too. Let's go back to the house and make some hot chocolate."

As he enjoyed his hot chocolate with Jack and Hotch, Dave was thinking about the moment he shared with Hotch while sledding. Never in a million years, did he ever think that Hotch would reciprocate his feelings. He debated what to do with his new found knowledge. Should he ignore it? Should he say something to Hotch? Then it hit him, if he recognized the look in Hotch's eyes, Hotch probably saw the same thing reflected back at him. After all, Hotch is one of the best profilers in the FBI.

"Uncle Dave, Uncle Dave…" he heard saying repeatedly.

"Sorry Jack, guess my mind was wandering. What's up" Dave said trying to pull himself back in the moment.

"Can you teach me how to make your mother's Christmas cookies now? We need to leave some for Santa tonight."

"Sure buddy. Let's head into the kitchen and get started" Dave said.

"Um, if you guys don't mind handling the cookies alone, I'd like to go lay down. I'm a bit tired. Jack had me up at the crack of dawn" Hotch asked.

"I think Jack and I are up for the job. Right Jacker's? Let's let your dad rest, we'll surprise him with some awesome cookies latter."

"Okie Dokie, but no peaking dad" Jack said as he headed towards the kitchen with Dave.

Hotch wasn't really tired, but he needed time to think and process what happen with Dave, while they were sledding. He had a difficult time defining his feelings towards Dave, up until this point. But the way his body responded to having Dave land on top of him, his feelings were most defiantly sexual. He probably shouldn't have come to Little Creek for the holidays. But it was too late now, not only did he not want to disappoint Jack, but the roads were still not cleared from yesterday's snow. Making matters worse, he could have sworn that Dave felt something back. "No it can't be" he thought. Dave Rossi had been married three times and he had a major reputation for being a real player. Maybe he was just misreading the situation.

After about an hour of hiding in his room, Hotch rejoined Dave and Jack in the kitchen, where they were making the finishing touches on the cookies. "Daddy!" Jack yelled. "Look at the cookies we made for Santa!"

"Wow, you guys really worked hard. The cookies look great!" Hotch said picking one up and taking a bite. "And they taste as good as the look."

"Feel better Aaron?" Dave inquired.

"Yes, much. Thanks for helping Jack make cookies."

"No problem, we had a great time. Why don't we make some homemade pizzas for dinner, then we can decorate the Christmas tree" Dave suggested.

"Sounds good to me, and judging by the way Jack is jumping up and down, I think it's a safe bet that he's onboard."

After dinner, the Hotchner men helped Dave bring the Christmas ornaments out of his storage room. As Hotch strung up the lights, Dave and Jack started looking through the Christmas ornaments. "Uncle Dave, I think this one is my favorite" Jack said, holding up a music box ornament.

"Actually Jack, that's my favorite too!" Dave said taking the ornament from Jack. My mother gave this to me before I went into the service. Here listen" Dave said opening the top of the ornament. The music box began playing "The First Noel".

"Oh, it plays music. What song is it singing?" he asked.

"The First Noel", it was my mother's favorite Christmas carol. We used to sing it together. When I joined the service, I was going to have to be away from home for Christmas that first year; my mom gave me this ornament so I'd have part of the family close to me. Why don't you go put it on the tree for me" Dave said handing the ornament to the little boy.

Soon the tree was decorated and looked beautiful. They turned out the lights, so the room was illuminated by just the Christmas tree and the fire roaring in Dave's fireplace. The threesome sat together marveling their work. After Hotch read Jack "The Night Before Christmas", it was time for Jack to brush his teeth, put on his PJ's, and go to bed.

"He's finally down" Hotch announced as he came back into the living room and plopped down on the couch. "He is so excited about Christmas and Santa. He'll probably wake up even earlier tomorrow."

"I remember Christmas morning when I was his age. I would spring out of bed even before my eyes were opened. It's a magical time for a kid" Dave said reflecting on his boyhood memories of Christmas. "I could go for a scotch, how about you, Aaron?"

"Sure. While you're pouring them, I'm going to go change and grab Jack's gifts and bring them downstairs. We can put them under the tree before we go to bed" Hotch said as he headed up the stairs.

Soon Hotch was back carrying tree bags full with gifts. "Aaron, Santa's going big time this year. My God" Dave said taking note of all the brightly wrapped Christmas gifts.

Hotch chuckled, "I guess he did go a bit over board this Christmas. It's just that I don't buy Jack toys throughout the year. Yes, he gets gifts for his birthday and a few for Easter, but other than that I don't come home every night with toys. I don't want to spoil him. So I do Christmas big time."

"Here" Dave said handing Hotch a glass with a generous amount of scotch. The two men sat down on the couch and sat silently sipping their scotch. Dave looked over at Hotch who had changed into gray sweat pants and a faded FBI t-shirt. He looked so relaxed, so un-agent Aaron Hotchner like. "So Aaron, what did Santa bring Jack for Christmas?"

"Well Legos, a nerf dart set, operation game, kids monopoly, some WII and Nintendo DS games, Transformers, playdoh stuff, Angry Birds game, and these strange things called Dagedar balls. I spent two hours wrapping everything and it will all be unwrapped in two minutes in the morning."

"Yeah, but he'll be one happy little boy" Dave reminded him.

Two hours and three scotches later, they started filling Jack's stocking and spreading his gifts out under the tree. They were almost done, when their hands met, as they both reached in the bag for the last present. They both felt the electricity and quickly pulled away. Hotch started nervously rearranging the presents under the tree. _"I'm not misreading the situation" _Hotch thought to himself_. "Dave Rossi has feelings for me. Oh fuck, what do I do now?"_ Hotch didn't have to think long, it was Dave who was always a straight shooter, that addressed the elephant in the room.

"I feel it too, Hotch. It's crazy and I don't really comprehend it, but I have feelings that I should not have for my best friend. I tried to ignore it. I never thought you would reciprocate my feelings, but you do, don't you?"

Hotch stopped fiddling with Jack's presents, looked up at Dave, "yes" he said almost in a whisper, "yes, I do."

"You want to sit down and talk about it?" Dave asked. It felt almost surreal that on Christmas Eve, he and Hotch were admitting their feelings for on another.

Hotch nodded and moved to sit on the couch, "we probably should. Although, I have no idea what to say. I've never had these kinds of feelings for a man before."

"Me neither. I've always been 100% heterosexual. But…and I'm not sure when it happened, but I started looking at you differently."

"I can't explain when my feelings started to change. I guess it was after Haley's death, when we started spending more time together. After a while, it was like you became part of our family. I found myself looking forward to our soccer games, our dinners, and just spending time with you" Hotch disclosed, looking down at his hands, which were shaking slightly.

"Same here" Dave said looking down at his drink. "Aaron, I hope you don't think that I didn't invite you and Jack here to confess my feelings to you. I never would have said anything, but then I realized you felt the same…"

"I know you didn't."

"Aaron, now that all our cards are on the table, what do we do now?" Dave asked uneasily. Part of him wanted Hotch to say _"let's forget this night ever happened",_ but part of him wanted him to say _"maybe we should try a relationship"_.

"I'm not sure. I mean, we could just go on, ignoring our feelings, but after tonight, that doesn't seem to be a viable option. Exploring where our feelings lead is another option to consider" Hotch replied.

"Is option number two, something you'd want to try?" Dave asked tentatively.

"Option number two scares the hell out of me on many levels. First, neither of us have ever identified as gay. Second, I hate to lose your friendship, if it doesn't work out. Jack loves you. Third, there is the anti-frat policy at work. Which, by the way, we have you to thank for" Hotch said with a light chuckle. "So a relationship would have to be keep under wraps. Hard to do, when you work side by side with the best profiles in the FBI." Hotch paused to take a sip of his scotch.

"I have to admit, all of the points you just listed, have been floating through my mind too. The thought of us being…um together, scares the hell out of me too. But it's also…um" Dave trailed off trying to find the right word.

"Kind of exciting" Hotch filled in the blank. "Me too. I haven't had many relationships. I met and married Haley when I was young. But I can identify the feelings. And the feelings I have towards you, are strong. So despite the problems that come with it…and I can't believe I'm saying this…but my vote would be for option two"

"My God, Aaron, are we really going to do this?" Dave asked. His heart was beating a mile a minute. "You know, this could all be for naught. We've established that we have feelings for each other, but who knows if the chemistry will continue when we do more than…um talk" Dave said leaning in towards Hotch, who met him half way. Their lips touched. The kiss was tender, soft, and it felt so good.

They pulled back, looked at each other, and smiled. "I don't think we have to worry about lack of chemistry" Dave whispered. "Come here, Aaron." They kissed again, this time deeply. Their mouths opened, their teeth nibbled, and their tongues slid together. They stopped, only to breathe. After months of denying their feelings, they were hungry for each other.

It was Dave that pulled back. "Aaron, why don't we head upstairs and continue this in my bedroom? We don't have to go further than either of us is ready for, but would you just sleep with me tonight? I want to be close to you. We can set the alarm, so that you can go back to your room before Jack wakes up."

Hotch nodded yes, and the two men headed upstairs, hand in hand.

Christmas Morning

The next morning Jack bounced on his dad's bed. "Daddy wake up, quick, Santa was here. I'll meet you downstairs. I'm going to go wake Uncle Dave. He wouldn't want to miss this!"

Five minutes later, Hotch and Dave sat by the Christmas tree watching Jack open the presents that Santa and Uncle Dave brought him. As adorable as Jack was, both men's minds were replaying the previous night's events in their head. "Daddy, Uncle Dave, there's no gifts for you guys" Jack said sadly.

Both men looked at each other and smile. "Don't worry about us, Jackers" Dave said. "Your dad and I exchanged gifts last night. Dave could have sworn Hotch blushed. "

"This has been the best Christmas ever!" Jack announced. Both men agreed fully!

The End

_**I enjoyed writing this Christmas story. I'm considering writing an M-rated chapter, detailing what happened in Dave's bedroom that Christmas Eve night. Let me know what you think!**_


End file.
